This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art and also provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
The assembly of pizzas in a retail establishment is a labor-intensive endeavor. Some of the steps performed by the worker may include the making of the dough; the preparation of a pizza pan; the spreading of the dough in the pizza pan; the applying of sauce, cheese, and other toppings; the moving of the pizza to the oven for baking; the removal of the pizza from the oven; the slicing of the pizza; and boxing the pizza for delivery to a customer. The automation of one or more of these steps may improve the efficiency of the pizza assembly process.
Additionally, the automation of one or more of the steps in the pizza assembly process may result in a more consistent quality for the assembled pizza. In particular, the quantity of sauce, the spreading of the toppings, the quantity and spacing of the toppings, etc. may be more consistently realized through the use of an automated process.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to utilize an automated pizza assembly system for the making of pizzas to be sold in a retail establishment. The automated pizza assembly system may advantageously make fresh pizzas for immediate cooking and delivery to customers desiring to purchase such pizzas. Additionally, the use of the automated pizza assembly system may allow for workers at the retail establishment to perform other value added tasks while the pizza assembly is being performed in an automated manner. As a result, a better utilization of the available manpower may be realized at the retail establishment. The automated pizza assembly system may be utilized in conjunction with a computer program or the like that can command the automatic preparation of the desired quantity of pizzas with the desired toppings thereon to automatically meet actual or anticipated customer demand. Additionally, the use of an automated pizza assembly system may improve the speed at which the pizzas can be made, thereby improving throughput. The improved throughput can be especially important during rush times wherein the demand for pizzas is greater than other times.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.